City Commission Considers Making Residency Proof Necessary for Commission Seats
by James Coulter
Anyone planning to run for public office in Lake Wales must prove they actually live within the city limits. That point commissioners agree on. What remains unsettled is how potential candidates will be required to prove their residency, a question that is still waiting for a straightforward answer.
During a work session late last month, Lake Wales city commissioners had a discussion about the best method for commission candidates to verify their residency.
City code requires commission candidates to have lived within Lake Wales for “not less than one year preceding their date of election.” However, the code does not specify how that residency is verified.
“There are currently no specifics as to what may establish that the residency qualification has been met,” explained City Manager James Slaton. “The filing officer, City Clerk, is required to accept the oath at face value and is precluded from investigating as to the truthfulness of the candidate’s sworn representations. A challenge to qualifications is a matter for the courts.”
In response, commissioners were recommended to change the city code, specifying the evidence candidates must provide to show the one-year residency requirement. The options under consideration include vehicle registration, a driver’s license, voter registration, or a deed or lease.
Commissioner Carol Gillespie asked whether candidates would need to provide one or more of the listed documents. Slaton responded that any of the items could be accepted individually or used in combination should the commission deem it necessary.
Commissioner Gillespie questioned the necessity of such a requirement, claiming that it was not only unnecessary but also that it could potentially erode public trust.
“People will not lie their way into candidacy for the position,” she said. “I would like to keep the system of taking their word for it. I think the candidates that we want in these positions are people we can trust.”
The discussion emerged after a public comment at the Apr. 21, 2026 meeting, when a resident questioned whether Commissioner Terri Miller had met the one‑year residency requirement during her campaign for the seat.
At the recent work session, Commissioner Miller cleared the air on the matter. She said she has resided within the city for the past three years, having lived a “nomadic life” across the state.
“It just didn’t occur to me that I was going to run for this office,” she said. “So, it didn’t pose so much gravity to get something changed the minute that I moved in to where I lived.”
However, Commissioner Miller was more than open to establishing a formal requirement for proving residency, saying the idea was “not a bad one.” She noted that during her first Florida League of Cities conference, presenters emphasized that ordinances are often more effective when written broadly rather than narrowly.
“So, being a nomadic world where people do not stay or choose to be somewhere, I do not know if it will be easier or more difficult if you have a lot of criteria,” she said. “But I do not think it is a bad idea to have one of these.”
Commissioner Keith Thompson replied that the broadest approach would be to rescind the requirement. As such, he felt the city was responsible for outlining the specific criteria for that requirement.
“This exposed a weakness in the system where no one wants to handle this hot potato,” he said. “I do think the people who are running for office, if you are serious, then you need to look up the requirements and have ways to prove that you meet those requirements. No one is forcing anyone to run for office.”
Commissioners agreed to move forward with the proposal, directing staff to draft an ordinance for review at the next work session. The ordinance’s first reading was on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, according to City Clerk Jennifer Nanek.
